NC Union Condemns New Sanctuary City Ban

Lawmakers are working on a law to respond to the death of Kate Steinle (left), who was murdered by an illegal alien (Youtube screengrab)

The North Carolina State AFL-CIO condemned Gov. Pat McCrory Wednesday for signing a bill which banssanctuary cities in the state.

The union argues the Protect North Carolina Workers Act willactually hurt many workers in the state. The measure makes it muchmore difficult for illegal immigrants to find employment or getstate benefits. The union says the measure will also put greatstrain on police and local governments. Supporters, however, saythe measure will actually help police while protecting stateresidents.

â€œGovernor McCrory has signed a law, H.B. 318,that will starve people struggling to findwork,”Â North Carolina State AFL-CIOSecretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan said in a statement. “[It] will make itharder for local police and local governments to protect and servethe public, and will make it easier than ever for criminals andunscrupulous employers to exploit immigrantworkers.â€

Sanctuary cities have been the subject of national debate. Theterm applies to places which have enacted certain procedures that shelter illegal immigrants. Thepolicy is troublesome to many because it allows such places toopenly break the law and has in multiple instances caused thedeaths of Americans.

â€œSigning an abusive law dishonestly named theâ€˜Protect North Carolina WorkersActâ€™ is proof for any voter who still needed itthat their governor cannot be trusted to defend workingpeople,â€ McMillan said in a statement.

The law also bans residents from using IDs not issuedby the government for legal purposes. Like the ban on sanctuarycities, the provision is designed to curtail activities by illegalimmigrants. It is much easier for a legal immigrant or resident toobtain a government issued ID than it is for an illegalimmigrant.

McCrory says the measure is about upholding the law. He arguesit will actually help the police by providing them the necessarytools to uphold the law. There have been several instances ofillegal immigrants in sanctuary cities killing people. Kate Steinlewas murdered in the sanctuary city of San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who was deported fivetimes previously.

Victor Aureliano Hernandez Ramirez and Jose Fernando Villagomezallegedly broke into the Santa Maria home of Marilyn Pharis July 24to rape and murder her. Prior to the incident, Ramirez was arrested for assaulting a woman. Despite arequest to take him into custody by the feds, the Santa BarbaraCounty Sheriffâ€™s Department released him.

“North Carolina is standing up for the rule of law, whichis central to North Carolina values and ourcountryâ€™s values,â€ McCrory said in a statement. â€œPublicsafety officials must have the flexibility and tools to investigatecrimes and sanctuary city policies deprive law enforcement of thosetools.â€

A bipartisan group of sheriffs and community leaders have backed the measure. Even members of thegovernor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic and Latino Affairshas supported it.